Is anyone there to catch me?
by CallMeYoYo
Summary: Ryou has been struggling his entire life, but after one more night of cruelty, he reaches his breaking point. Who will be there to catch him when he falls? SetoxRyou Euroshipping, some violence, lemon later
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hi. So yeah I don't own Yu Gi Oh, if I did, I would be rich. :) Enjoy!

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Is Anyone There To Catch Me?

I closed my eyes as a fist smashed into the side of my face and I crumpled to the floor.

"Pitiful, that's what you are," Bakura growled.

I kept my eyes shut. I hated this, all of this. The pain I was feeling and the anger that was building inside of me; the sadness that surrounded my life and the fact that I couldn't run away from it. Tears rolled down my cheeks. Another fist crashed into my face and I didn't even flinch.

Bakura grabbed the front of my shirt and pulled me to my feet.

"Open your eyes Ryou…entertain me…" Bakura's voice was a little softer.

I smelt the alcohol on Bakura's breath. My eyes slowly opened and he found my yami's face a hairsbreadth away from mine. I knew that look he had in his eyes and braced myself for what was to come.

Bakura pushed me onto his bed and began to take off my clothes. He pulled off my shirt, revealing bruises that still haven't healed from previous beatings. I shuddered and considered fighting back, but it never helped. It only resulted in more pain.

Bakura smiled and raked his finger nails down my sides. I cried out as he cut through my skin and some blood began to seep out of the scratches he had created. He leaned forward and kissed me roughly. I pushed him away.

"B-Bakura! Please, stop!"

I received a hard slap and the room fell silent except for my staggered breathing.

More tears came spilling out of my eyes and Bakura let out a small chuckle.

"Poor, little Ryou…too weak to defend himself. How sad." Bakura began unbuttoning my jeans. I didn't fight back. All I did was hold back my scream that was threatening to erupt from my throat.

He took off the rest of my clothes and began undressing himself, starting with his belt. Once he took off his belt he grabbed my wrists and tied them with it.

"B-Bakura…" I stuttered.

"What is it my little angel?" Bakura sneered.

"W-Why…?" I cried as he took off his shirt and leaned forward. He kissed me again and I did all I could to try and keep him away from me, but like he said…I was weak. He kissed me for several seconds and his hand traveled down to my member.

I gasped and Bakura pulled away from the kiss.

"Why what, little Ryou?"

I knew his reaction to this would not be good, but I had to make him realize he was hurting me.

"W-Why…do you hate me? I thought you told me you loved me..."

Bakura slapped me again but I didn't stop.

"Why do you hurt me?"

I received a punch.

"Why is everything you do result in my suffering?"

Again, I was punched. And this time I had no strength to continue.

"I will show you love!" Bakura shouted and took off the rest of his clothes and propped my legs on his shoulders. I would have fought back, if only I had any energy.

He shoved himself inside my entrance without a warning and I screamed on the top of my lungs. I hated how helpless I was. He thrusted inside me, moving faster and faster. I yelped in pain; not pleasure. Never pleasure.

Bakura's movement became more aggressive and I felt like I was on the verge of passing out. I wanted to pass out. I wanted the darkness to take over my pain. But it didn't.

It didn't until Bakura was finished with me, leaving me helpless on his bed. And then the darkness took over my mind.

.

.

I woke up with a headache and other pains. I sat up and found that I was covered with a blanket. That's probably the nicest thing Bakura has done to me in a long time.

I realized my wrists were still tied with my yami's belt and I managed to struggle out of it with the help of my teeth. Once my wrists were free, I got out of the bed and wrapped the blanket around my naked body. I inspected the house to see if Bakura was still home.

"Bakura…?" I called out. Then again. No reply.

He must have gone out with Marik or something of that sort.

I walked into the bathroom and inspected my new wounds. The cuts on my side were rather deep but other than that, all I had were bruises. My face looked pretty bad. I had a black eye and a cut and swollen lip.

After taking a shower and washing off the dried blood I put on my uniform and got ready for school. That's the only thing that could get me out of here. If I got good grades, then a scholarship to some university, I could move out and get away from Bakura. At least that's what I was trying to tell myself.

My stomach growled and I inspected the kitchen. Nothing but beer.

I sighed and clutched my stomach. I hadn't eaten a proper meal in about a week. Bakura always ate out without me and he never payed the school so I couldn't buy lunch. The only time I ever got anything was if Bakura wasn't too drunk to bring home leftovers. I chuckled a little. My father was incredibly rich, but since Bakura made me move out, I was stuck living like a beggar.

My headache was getting worse but we were out of painkillers.

I walked up to my room and tried to cover up some of my black eye with foundation. Maybe this won't look as bad now. After finishing my homework I began walking to school.

I was a little late, so I wouldn't run into Yugi and the rest of the gang so I had more time to come up with an excuse for my injuries. I walked into the High School as the bell rang for class to start.

I stumbled into my first class and told my teacher that my alarm clock didn't wake me up on time. As I took my seat I noticed people staring, including Yugi, Joey, Tristan, and Tea. I avoided their gazes and pretended to be listening intently to the teacher.

At lunch Yugi was the first to say anything.

"Ryou, what happened to you?"

"Oh, this?" I pointed to my bruised face. "I accidentally ran into a gang downtown and they weren't very welcoming. They punched me and took my wallet."

"Oh no! Did you report this to the police?" Tea exclaimed.

"Oh, no, there wasn't that much money in my wallet and I wasn't hurt too badly."

That's when Joey stepped in. "Listen, I've gotten beat up several times in my day, and your face looks worse than mine ever did!"

"You guys, I'm quite alright." I put on a fake smile. I wish I could tell them the truth. I mean, they know Bakura isn't exactly friendly, but they didn't know I had moved out of my fathers house and was living alone with my yami. I didn't want to worry them, and I was scared of what would happen to them if they got involved.

After lunch, in which I only ate an apple that Tristan had given me, my headache was much worse and the pain of my injuries were catching up with me.

In my next class I couldn't hear what the teacher was seeing and my vision was blurring. I got up and asked the teacher if I could go to the nurse. Apparently I wasn't liking so good and she let me go. When I was walking down the hall, my knees buckled and I slumped against the wall. I broke out in a sweat and began to breath heavily.

Everything was catching up with me all at once. The lack of food, the beatings, the sleepless nights, and hardworking days I've been struggling through. I felt tears slide down my face, but I didn't care.

I had not energy to care.

I saw someone coming my way. "Ryou…?" They asked. I recognized this voice, but who was it?

Then my vision collapsed along with the rest of me and I fell to the ground. Had I reached my breaking point? Why now?

Why…

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Yoyo: So, I know this is a little different than my usual stuff but I like.

Kazy: WILL YOU CONTINUE? 3

Yoyo: yeah, yeah, don't worry! I'm working on the next chapter!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: don't own yu gi oh! enjoy and review!

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I opened my eyes to find a bright florescent light over my head. I turned my head to the side and realized where I was. In the nurses office.

How did I get here?

I sat and inspected the room to find anyone that could explain anything to me.

"You should rest."

That voice.

I turned my head to the other side and found no one other than Seto Kaiba sitting in a chair beside my bed. He sounded irritated but his eyes weren't as cruel as I remembered them to be.

"Oh, well, I feel better…" I lied. "I really should get to class. I don't want to miss anything important."

"You're lying. And we can have the teacher give you a copy of their notes. I'm sure they won't mind." I was a little surprised by his reply. "So rest."

My eyes fell to the floor.

"What is it? Forgot how to rest?" Kaiba said sarcastically.

I laughed a little. "I think I might have."

This took Kaiba by surprise.

My stomach growled and I winced. Oh god I was starving.

"I brought you some food." Seto said and pointed at a tray. My eyes widened and I reached towards the food. It was an average amount: a sandwich, grapes, a milk carton, and some carrots. Not a big deal. But I haven't eaten a meal this big in a long time.

I began to eat like a wild animal.

"Slow down, or you'll throw everything back up." Did I hear amusement in Kaiba's voice?

"Sorry." I slowed down.

After a few seconds I looked up at Kaiba again.

"Um, Kaiba…did you bring me down here?"

He nodded.

All I did was nod slowly back.

The nurse walked into the room. "Oh, I'm glad to see that you woke up. What have you been going through lately? You have a high fever, malnutrition, probably lack of sleep, and you've got a pretty bad bruise there. Good thing your friend was there to find you or you would have been in trouble!" The nurse handed Ryou some medication.

"We're not friends." Seto Kaiba said as he stood up and left the room.

I couldn't help but feel a little hurt at what he said.

The nurse handed me some pills. "These are for your fever, and make sure to get plenty of rest and eat more regularly." The nurse continued. "Would you like me to call your parents?"

"No, that's quite alright. Thank you so very much."

Later Yugi, Joey, Tristan, and Tea dropped by and made sure I was okay. I stayed at the nurses office until the end of the day. After the bell rang, I asked all my teachers for note and homework, then walked out of the building.

I looked up and saw that it was about to rain so I made sure to hurry home. Of course, being the unlucky person that I am, it began to down pour. I tried to hurry, but the rain was slowing me down. This weather probably wasn't going to help my fever.

A limousine pulled up to my side and the door swung open.

"Get in." Said no other than Seto Kaiba.

I simply stood there in shock.

"Are you going to get in, or do you want to die from pneumonia?"

"It's quite alright, I can walk home. Thank you for the thought."

"Will you just get in, or do I have to drag you in myself?"

I hesitated, but the car looked incredibly welcoming. I climbed in and sat down next to Kaiba, closing the door after me.

"What's your address?" Kaiba asked.

I didn't answer right away. I didn't want to go home. I didn't want to go back to Bakura.

"Are you deaf?" Kaiba said scornfully.

I looked up at him and without a warning I broke down. I never felt so defeated. Tears rolled down my cheeks. I'd been crying too much lately but I couldn't help it. I buried my face in my hands and sobbed. While I was crying, a hand landed on my shoulder. I turned my head towards Kaiba.

"Listen, if you stop crying, I'll let you spend the night at my house. Mokuba needs some company anyways." He said roughly.

"I-I couldn't, B-baku- I would worry someone." I said between sobs.

"You can call them from my home."

I considered this. "I don't want to be a burden."

"If you stay out of my way, everything will be fine." Kaiba didn't even wait for my response. He simply told the driver to take us to his home.

"Thank you…" I said softly.

.

.

"Big brother! and Ryou Bakura?" Even though Mokuba was confused he appeared to be happy to see me. We had talked on several occasions. Whenever I went on walks I ran into him at the park. He was a very kind kid.

"Yes," Kaiba spoke, "Ryou needs to spend the night here. Don't ask why."

"Oh okay," Mokuba looked excited. "If your spending the night then does that mean you can play with me?"

"I would love to." I smiled.

Kaiba walked away. "I'll be in my office, please don't disturb me. Oh, and Ryou…"

I turned to face Kaiba. "Yes?"

"Don't forget to take whatever the nurse gave you."

"Oh, yes. Thank you for reminding me."

The rest of the night I played with Mokuba and finished my homework. We ate dinner together, without Kaiba, and then I was shown to my room for the night. I changed into my PJ's but before I went to sleep there was something I had to do.

I wondered a few halls before I found the one that was Kaiba's office. I hesitated, but in the end chose to knock on his door. There was no reply. I knocked again.

"Kaiba? It's me, Ryou. I just wanted to thank you for letting me stay the night. Sleep well." I then hurried to my room and took one of the pills the nurse gave me.

.

.

"Hey, Ryou…" Bakura pushed me against a wall and held my wrists. "…entertain me."

"B-Bakura…please…" I cried as he licked my neck. He began to grind against me and despite my best efforts to hide my moans, they escaped. Shame. I felt nothing but shame and fear.

Bakura laughed and began to kiss me. I screamed and tried to push him away. But I couldn't.

I woke up screaming. It was a dream, just a dream. But a dream that came from many memories.

The sun was up and I got out of the soft bed Kaiba and Mokuba had provided me with. I got dressed and went down to the dinning room. To my surprise Kaiba was eating breakfast with Mokuba.

"Good morning, Ryou!" Mokuba smiled.

"Good morning, Mokuba, Kaiba."

"Are you feeling okay?" asked Kaiba.

I was feeling a little shaky but nodded. "I'm fine."

"Okay, but after school I'll call to check up on you and if you don't answer, I'll send Seto over!"

I ate breakfast with them and rode to school with Kaiba. I thanked him again as we entered the school and then didn't get to speak to him for the rest of the day. After school I walked home.

I took my time, trying to come up with a legitimate excuse for me being gone. It had to sound perfect. It couldn't have any hesitation in it.

I reached my house and turned the door knob. When I entered, a pair of arms wrapped themselves around me.

"Where have you been, my little angle?" Bakura growled.

* * *

Yoyo: okay, I'm still writing more, don't worry. How do you like it so far?

Pax: I kinda like it.

Kazy: HE SAID HE LIKED IT! -passes out-

Pax: I changed my mind...

Moe: anyways...review!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I don't own yu gi oh! But I wish I did!

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_"Where have you been, my little angle?" Bakura growled._

"I was at Tea's, working on a project." I said, trying to sound as convincing as possible.

"Why didn't you come home last night?" He began to unbutton my uniform.

"I-It was late and I didn't want to bother you. So I-I simply stayed over at her house." Bakura pushed me against a wall and kissed me. I tried to turn away but his hand held my jaw tightly. As he kissed me his hand slid under my half unbuttoned shirt.

"Your lying to me Ryou, but that's okay. You don't have to tell me the truth, you'll simply be punished." His voice was frighteningly calm.

"I promise! I'm not lying!" I couldn't tell him the truth. He wouldn't take it well.

A fist connected with my face and I slumped down to the floor.

"I'll teach you a lesson about lying to me, my dear…" Bakura picked me up and carried me to his bedroom. When we entered, he dropped me on his bed and crawled on top of me, straddling me. He pulled the shirt off of my body and examined the scars and bruises he had left on me in the past.

"All of these will fade one day…maybe I should give you a mark that will stay forever. A mark that will show you not to lie to me." He whispered and pulled a pocked knife from his jeans.

"Bakura, please don't!" I cried. "Please…"

My yami paused. Something resembling concern flashed across his eyes.

"Maybe not yet. Maybe I will leave more marks that will fade…for now. Isn't that sweet of me, my dear Ryou?"

I nodded through my tears. I had to agree with him, I had no choice.

He stared at the blade of the pocket knife as though it was the most interesting thing he had ever seen.

"But where shall I leave the marks, that is the question…" He pressed the cool blade to my burning cheek so it wouldn't cut me quite yet. "Do you love me, Ryou?" His gaze was cold as ice. I wanted to yell at him and tell him that you can't love someone who does the things he does to me. But I couldn't. He would kill me over something like that. I didn't answer his question, I only closed my eyes in hopes of no seeing what was about to come.

"Wrong answer." Bakura breathed and sliced the skin bellow my left eye. I cried out and felt the blood seep out of the scar. It wasn't deep enough to be permanent, but it sure as Hell hurt a lot. He lightly scrapped the knife across my collar bone and I tried not to show him the pain I was going through.

He took off the rest of my clothes along with his, still holding the knife in his hand. He cut me everywhere. The stomach, arms, legs. I could feel the blood draining out of my body.

But that wasn't the end of the agony.

"And now to the best part, my angel." Bakura laughed as he propped my legs on his shoulders and slammed himself into me. Again and again he slammed in and out of me, being anything but gentle. I screamed. I cried. I begged. But it was pointless. I was weak, and I could never win.

Bakura left me, weak and bleeding, on the bed. I waited until I heard the front door close to get up. I crawled into the bathroom to inspect my wounds. They were bad, and we were out of any medical supplies. I knew Bakura didn't leave money around the house, so I couldn't go out and buy any.

The blood rushed through my head and I felt dizzy.

I remembered the pills the nurse gave me. I wrapped my bathrobe around me and found the pills I was given. Once I was back in the bathroom I examined the bottle which contained them. It said to take two pills a day unless you feel really bad, but to make sure not to take more than five at a time. The container had twelve pills. What would happen if I was to take them all at once?

I've contemplate suicide rarely.

I didn't think killing myself was worth it, but I wasn't sure anymore. Tears burned my eyes as I examined my life. I was screwed.

I fell to my knees and cried into my hands.

How many pills would it take to kill me? Five would land me in the hospital probably, but I wasn't sure if it would kill me. Did I want to do this? Could I do it? I realized that it might be my only way to relieve me of the pain.

"I'm sorry…" I whispered to those who would care if I died such as Yugi, Tea, Tristan, and Joey. "I'm so sorry." I took nine pills and swallowed them with some water.

The phone rang.

Mokuba. He told me he was going to call and check up on me. I didn't want him to send Seto here and find me in this state so I stumbled to the phone.

"Hello?" I whispered.

"Ryou? Ryou, is that you? Are you okay?" The words were too loud. They rang in my head.

"I-I'm…fine…" My mind was clouded and I couldn't make out what Mokuba was saying. The world turned sideways and I hit the ground. "I…"

_I'm sorry._

Why was it that I was thinking about Seto as I felt my life slipping away?

_._

_._

**Seto POV:**

I wasn't happy with Mokuba sending me to check up on Ryou, but he wouldn't leave me alone about it.

"He answered the phone, didn't he?" I asked.

"Yes! But he barely said anything and then it sounded like he passed out! Seto you have to check up on him!"

I swear Mokuba can probably make me do anything. "Fine."

When the car reached his house I told the driver to keep the car running, this won't take to long. I made my way to the door and knocked a few times. "Ryou?" I called out. No answer. I checked the doorknob to see if the door was locked. It wasn't. I'm normally not interested in intruding peoples homes, but I was doing this for Mokuba.

I opened the door and gasped at the site before me.

Ryou was on the floor, bleeding and bruised, only covered by a bathrobe. His hair was tangled and stained with blood. He was holding a phone in his hand, which meant that Mokuba was right. He must have passed out when they were speaking on the phone.

I ran to his side and saw a container of pills in his hand. "Shit," I swore under my breath.

I picked him up, bridel style, doing my best to make sure I wasn't pressing on any of his scars. I ran out to my car and told the driver to rush home and call Shikuza, the Kaiba families personal doctor.

"I'm on it!" The drive did as he was told.

.

.

I paced the hallway that lead to Ryou's room. So many thoughts rushed through my mind. _What if you don't make it Ryou? What will I do?_

After an hour Shizuka came out of Ryou's room and let out a sigh. The rest of the medical team left.

"Is he alright?" I asked.

"He's been through a lot. He endured too much. He was suffering from malnutrition, lack of sleep, a high fever, and a minor concussion."

"I know that's not all."

"You're right, he was raped and took an overdoes of medication."

"How long has this been happening?" I urged.

"You're smart. You're right, it's happened more than once…" The doctor shook her head and sat down in a chair that was set up outside the door. "From what I can tell, this has been happening every other day for several weeks. Whoever did this knew what they were doing. The boy had major bruises on his wrists that suggests that was how he was restrained. Most of his cuts are fairly recent so I managed to clean them and make sure they don't get infected. He lost a lot of blood though, and his overdoes entails that he was trying to kill himself. And to be honest, I don't blame him. He's the strongest person I have ever met in my life, being able to go through such a thing for so long."

I crossed my arms and leaned against the wall. "Is he going to live?"

"Yes, I pumped his stomach to get rid of the pills, cleaned his wounds, and have him on some new medication…" She took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes. "I can't believe what people do to each other…Seto, what are you going to do?"

I gave her a puzzled look. "What do you mean what am I going to do?"

"Where is he going to stay, what will you do when he's healed?"

"He's going to stay here for now I'll have it no other way." I glanced at her, then at the floor.

I heard Shizuka laugh.

"What's so funny?"

"You like him, don't you?" She raised her eyebrows. "I'd never thought I'd live to see the day."

"I don't know what you're talking about." I said defensively.

"Listen, if you do have the hots for the boy, don't force him into anything. He has been through too much for you to start something and then throw it away like nothing." She stood up and gently touched my arm. "Seto, you know how much I care about you, don't let anything happen to that boy. For my sake."

I frowned and nodded.

She said she would come once a day to give him medication but other than that, there was no need for her anymore. I told her to come check up on him more often and after soe threatening from my part, she agreed. We said our goodbyes and I entered Ryou's room.

Ryou was asleep in his bed with an IV attached to his arm. He appeared to be having a nightmare as he tossed around.

"No, please…don't…" He mumbled.

I walked to his side and watched him with sad eyes.

"I'm sorry…I w-won't do it again…just don't-don't hurt me…" He must have been dreaming about whoever was doing this to him.

"please…" that last cry made me have to do something. I gently stroked his arm.

"Shh, I won't let you get hurt." I whispered and sat down in a chair by the bed. His hand grabbed mine and he stopped tossing.

And so I sat there; holding the hand of an angle under the worst circumstances ever.

"I won't let anyone hurt you again."

* * *

Yoyo: Okay, I kinda like this so far, how about you?

Kazy: YESSS!

Yoyo: but I feel like I might run out of ideas with this. I haven't yet, but I might. So if you have an idea, send me a message!

Moe: Review! :)


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I know I'm sorry I didn't write in this forever so...Merry Christmas! This is your present. :)

and I don't own yugioh bla bla bla.

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**Ryou's POV:**

I opened my eyes to find myself in an unfamiliar room. Well, not entirely. I had a feeling as though I had been here before. It was a large room with nice wallpaper and a large window on one wall surrounded by silk curtains. Where was I? Why was I here? What happened for me to end up here?

I tried to sit down but pain shot throughout my body and stayed still. Suddenly I realized that one of my arms was hooked up to wires. I turned my head to my other arm and was surprised to find a hand in it. I followed the strange hand and realized it belonged to Seto Kaiba. He was asleep with one hand holding mine and another on a laptop that was set up beside him.

What in the world was going on? I didn't remember coming back here.

What do I remember?

I closed my eyes and thought about everything that happened to me in the last day. I had woken up here, then went to school, followed by coming home. Bakura had been there and then…and then he cut me along with other things. When he had left what happened to me? I remembered going to the bathroom and looking at the pills the nurse had given me. I thought I'd overdosed. Yes I had. Then Mokuba called me, but I couldn't remember finishing the conversation. I must have passed out. Did Mokuba send Seto after me? Is that why I was here now?

It must be.

My heart sank as I realized that I had been so close to death. So close to relief. But I was still here. On this planet with horrible people and horrible things. I began to cry and attempted to hide my sobs in order to not wake up Kaiba. It was no use though because ultimately it was my shaking body that woke him up.

His blue eyes fluttered open to find me in my pathetic state. It seemed to take him a few seconds to understand what was happening.

"Ryou?" He then noticed that tears were rolling down my cheeks. "Ryou! Are you alright? are you in any pain?"

I shook my head no; not entirely sure to which question.

"I'll get my doctor," Seto was about to get up but I tightened my grip on his hand, which wasn't that strong, but sent across the message that I didn't want a doctor to come. He stopped in his tracks and looked back at me. I saw in his eyes that he was trying to figure out what was wrong, that he was trying to help me.

"J-just…stay here f-for a moment…" I stuttered between sobs.

He gave me a reluctant nod but hesitated to sit back down. He pulled the blanked off me and climbed into the bed. He repositioned me so I was laying partially on top of him, with my head on his collarbone and hands on his shoulders. He wrapped one arm around my waist and the other rested on my head, entangled in my hair. I didn't know why he did this, but it felt good and I wanted to stay in this position for the rest of my life.

"Ryou?" Seto said in a soft voice that I could never imagine would escape his lips.

My crying had died out and we were laying in silence.

"Yes?" My voice was hoarse and weak.

"When did this start?"

I knew he was talking about me being raped. If I was hooked up to these machines, a professional doctor must have examined me and found out what happened to me. The strange thing was that I wanted to tell him. I wanted to spill everything out.

"I moved in with my yami last year." I began the story. "It was fine in the beginning since he was dating Marik; even if he got a little too drunk once in a while. He didn't lay a finger on me for four months. Then when Marik broke up with him...my yami raped me for the first time."

Seto's grip on me tightened for a moment.

"I didn't know what to do and the next day he acted like nothing had happened. I assumed he had been to drunk to remember anything, so I didn't know if he would even believe me if I had confronted him. Then nothing happened for a month, except for occasional punches, but no sexual contact. He came home drunk one night and broke down the door to my room and...you know."

Seto's grip tightened again and he pressed his face to my head. I didn't know if I should continue, but I knew I couldn't stop now.

I took a deep breath. "Then it began happening every other week for a few months, then every week for several months and for the past three weeks it's been almost everyday...maybe even twice a day if it was the weekend."

Seto's breathing was shallow and I knew he was doing everything he could to keep himself from getting mad.

"...Seto?"

"How can you live like that? Why didn't you say anything?" He sounded upset.

I didn't answer at first. "Say what to who? I couldn't bother my friends with this. I knew if I had mentioned this they would vow to help me, and Bakura, my yami, would kill them. Or worse, send them to the shadow realm."

"I can't believe I didn't do anything."

I shook my head. "It wasn't your fault."

"It doesn't matter!" His outburst caught me off guard. I stayed silent. "I knew something was going on, but I didn't know what. I figured it was none of my business and if it was too serious that Yugi or the others would find out and do something. I was scared I would get attached to you if I got involved. I was frightened by the thought that you may not," he paused, "share the same feelings I have for you. But I don't care if you don't like me in the same way, I just can't stand the thought of you being harmed any longer."

I held my breath. Had I heard him correctly? I was sure he had just confessed his feeling to me.

"Seto. W-why me?" I rested my forehead against his neck.

He began to play with my hair. "Because you are the nicest, most innocent, adorable, sincere person I have ever met. You always put other before yourself, unlike me who only cares about himself."

"That's not true. You are the best brother Mokuba could ever have."

Seto let out a bitter laugh. "I try, but I don't spend nearly enough time with him as I should."

"You have to run an entire company." I closed my eyes and listened to his heartbeat.

"That's not excuse."

It was hard to imagine the great Seto Kaiba troubling over spending time with his brother. I sat up and looked Kaiba in the eye. We stared at each other for the longest time. I didn't know what to do, but i could have sat there forever if I could. Suddenly a small smile crept onto Seto's face.

"What's so funny?" I asked.

"It's not really funny as it is nice." Seto explained. "You've been calling me Seto this entire time. You used to call me Kaiba."

I let this thought sink in and then realized why this was. "Well I guess I usually called you Seto in my head, but since we weren't exactly...friends, I figurde you might not want me to call you by your first name. Especially, since nobody else but your brother called you that. But now, I didn't have time to think about it."

The door creaked open and in came a woman which I assumed was Seto's doctor. She seemed like a very nice lady with shoulder length black hair and bangs and beautiful black eyes. She wore a white doctor's coat and wore a pair of glasses.

"Hello there. I see you're up and making yourself comfortable." She said with raised eyebrows and a smile. I didn't know if she was talking to Seto or I. It was probably directed at both of us.

"Shizuka, learn how to knock." Seto growled in his usual tone.

"Sorry, but you instructed me to be on time for all his check ups, and I do not want to be fired, Seto." I smiled and she walked up to me and extended her hand. "Shizuka Tanaka."

I shook her hand. "Nice to meet you. I am Ryou Bakura."

"I know my dear." She turned her head to Seto. "Kaiba you could learn some manners from this boy."

Seto snorted. "Just do what you have to do." He brushed his hand against my cheek and left the room. I sat on the edge of the bed and Shizuka sat beside me and took my hand.

"How are you?" she looked at me.

"I've been better."

"Can you tell me what happened?" She looked at me questioningly. "You don't have to, but I'm a therapist as well as a medical doctor and I think I might be able to help you." I was sure that if I would have heard it from anyone else, I would say no. But there was something so sincere about Shizuka that I was willing to tell her what happened. Slowly I began to tell her my story, with a much more detail than when I told Seto. She jotted some notes down after asking me if that was alright. I told her that it was fine and we talked together for a while. About my yami, about everything he did, about why I wanted to kill myself, just about everything. It felt really good.

Afterwards she began with my check up. After receiving an injection I asked her if it was alright for me to take a shower and she said it was more than fine. Before I entered the bathroom Shizuka handed me a cream that I should apply to all my cuts. Only five cuts needed bandaging and I could easily bandage four of them. The fifth was on the back and she said I could have Seto or her do it for me.

When I was about to head to the bathroom I hugged her.

"Thank you so much, Shizuka." I whispered.

"You are more than welcome, dear. More than welcome." I knew that she couldn't be more than twenty eight years old, but the way she called me dear reminded me of my grandmother. I liked it a lot.

She gave me a soft kiss on the cheek before I went to take my shower.

* * *

Yoyo: soooooooo? How was it?

Kazy: I LUV IT!

Moe: Very nice. I approve.

Pax: -shrugs-

Yoyo: PLEAZE COMMENT!


	5. Chapter 5

I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! haha, can't sue me.

* * *

**Ryou's POV:**

I turn on the hot water and began to strip. When I took off the hospital pajamas I was given, I examined my wounds once more. They all looked much better. I began to take of the bandages, barely able to reach the one on my back. Once I was stripped of everything, I entered the shower. The hot water felt good on my skin and for the first couple of minutes I simply stood there. I tried to avoid thinking. But your mind wonders when you aren't preoccupied. The first question to enter my mind was: what now? This was followed by: Where will I go? What will I do? Will I face Bakura again?

These questions led to tears and I curled up in a ball on the floor of the shower.

Bakura has told me multiple times that I cry too much and, sadly, I agree with him. I wish I was able to hide my emotions. I wish I could put on a careless persona like Seto. I mean sure, I've been able to lie successfully about my problems to my friends at school but I'm always on the border of getting emotional. I hate it. I squeeze myself tightly and flinch when I press too much on one of my bruises. A shaky breath escapes my lips and I begin to apply shampoo to my hair and soap to my body.

I start thinking about rain as the water washes it all away. I love rain. I love the feeling you get when you walk down a street on a cloudy day and a drop of water falls from the sky, followed by another. Then, before you know it, it's raining and you just stand there, taking it all in. The sounds, the smells. It's like the world is washing away all it's sins; cleansing itself. I feel refreshed after it rains.

When I'm done with my shower there's a knock on the door. "Mister Ryou Bakura?" It's a female voice but it doesn't belong to Shizuka.

I wrap my towel around me. "Yes?"

"I have brought you some clothes. May I enter?"

"Um...sure."

The door opens slowly and a girl my age with long, curly brown hair enters with a small pile of clothes. She's wearing a black and white, frilly maids outfit so I assume she's a maid. When she enters, she curtsies and looks up at me.

"I'm your personal maid, Emi." She smiles at me warmly and places the pile in her hands on the counter beside the sink. Personal maid? "Is there anything else I can help you with?"

I'm still a little surprised. "Um...no, thank you. This is enough for now."

"Alright, well, if you ever need anything you can dial 003 on any phone in the household and I will come up to that room immediately." I thank her once more and she leaves. She seems like a very sweet girl.

I bandage the wounds I can and attempt to reach the fifth, but it's no use. I pull on underwear and a pair of loos sweatpants. They hold nicely around my waist but the fact that they don't press on my skin at my legs is good. I don't put on a shirt yet because of my un-bandaged scar. I walk out of the bathroom with a towel on my head and see Seto enter the room.

I swear he blushes as he realizes that I'm shirtless. He stares for a moment and I pretend not to notice. I'm not sure how I feel about Seto. It was a shock for me when I found out that he liked me, in...that way. I try to push it aside for now. There are too many things being thrown at me at once and I don't think I can handle it.

"Seto, could you do me a favor?" I ask quietly.

"Sure," he answers too quickly, "what is it?"

"Well there's a cut on my back that needs to be bandaged, could you..."

"Of course."

I hand him the bandages and cream necessary and he gently rubs it on my back. As he does this I look around the room. I realize I consider this more home than anywhere else. But I tell myself not to get too attached since I never know what may happen.

"...Seto?" I whisper. I wondered if it was loud enough to be heard.

"Yes, Ryou?"

I reconsider my statement but it already escapes my lips. "Please don't make me go back there..." My voice cracks. His hand on my back stops abruptly and I curse inside my head. I must have said something wrong. Who am I kidding? He doesn't want me here. I'll just be in the way.

"Ryou, I wouldn't let you go back there even if you wanted to." His voice is serious, making the statement even more powerful. It takes me a moment to realize what he means and when I do, I turn around and hug him. I bury my face in his chest and do my best not to cry. My fingers dig into his back as I cling onto him. I feel his hands holding me as well; one on my lower back and another on the back of my head, entangled in my wet hair. We stay like this until I pull away and look up at Seto.

"Thank you," I whisper.

Seto only smile and tells me to turn around so he can finish up.

After he's done I slip on a shirt and ask him if I'm going to stay here. I hope with all my hear that he would say yes.

"Of course, I wouldn't let you stay anywhere else." He says in a tone that reminds me of how he speaks at school. When he is unemotional and unresponsive.

"Are you sure I won't be in the way?" I ask.

"No, quite the opposite. The staff hasn't had guests in a long time and Mokuba loves being around you. You will actually help the place. Have you met Emi yet?"

I nod. "She's a very lovely girl."

I wonder if I chose the wrong words as Seto's expression changes for a split second. Was that jealousy? I couldn't believe the great Seto Kiba was just jealous. In my amusement, I begin to feel guilty. He continues speaking, "Well, I must return to my work. You know where Mokuba's room is incase you want to find him and my office isn't far away, but if it's a situation where I'm not really needed, please don't disturb me."

"Alright,"

"Feel free to do whatever you like." He turns away.

"Seto?"

His head turns back. "Hm?"

"Thanks again. F-for everything. It means so much to me. I wish I could repay you."

His eyes smile. "Your happiness all I need." Then he leaves the room.

_Your happiness is all I need_. I never thought I would hear such beautiful words in my life.

.

.

**Seto's POV:**

I am undisturbed in my office until it is time for dinner. I try to consentrate on the task at hand but my mind always returns to Ryou. I think about all the things he has been through, how I wasn't there to stop any of it, and if it was the right thing for me to confess to him. The last thought lingers unlike the last topics that rush by. Mokuba calls me down and after I tell him to hold on eight times, he comes to my office.

"Come on big brother! Dinner's ready." He says when he enters the room.

I close my laptop and stand. "Alright."

We walk down the hall in silence for the first couple of steps. Suddenly Mokuba decides he want to break it and begins asking me several questions in a row.

"Is Ryou going to stay here? What happened to him? Do you like him?" That last question startled me a little. I never talked to Mokuba about my feelings towards anyone. I realize though, that the way he asked the question indicated that he already knew the answer. I could always avoid it but in all honesty, I didn't really want to. After I consider all of this I answer his questions.

"Yes, Ryou is going to stay with us. If you want to know what happened, you have to ask him, but I'm telling you right now that I suggest otherwise. It's a sensitive topic and if he really wants to tell you, he will in his own time. And as for your last question...yes." I end it there but Mokuba seems satisfied.

I'm surprised to hear the sound of Ryou laughing and I enter the dinning room. The laughter is coming from the kitchen and when the doors open, Ryou and one of the servers (whose name I don't know because I can't waste my time learning my staff's names when I have a company to run). They bring out the food and I'm about to tell Ryou that he shouldn't be serving food, that it was what's-his-name's job. But the way Ryou smiles stops me. Whatever it is that is making him smile, I want it to continue.

The table is set with the first course and Mokuba, Ryou and I take our seats.

It's a nice dinner. I usually don't eat dinner with Mokuba. The only meal I share with him on a regular basis is breakfast. Mokuba talks most of the time, asking Ryou about school and what he does in his free time.

"Not much," Ryou replies with a smile. "I don't really get a lot of free time, but when I do, I tend to read. I love books. When I'm not reading, I sometimes manage to sneak out to Yugi's or Tea's house."

"Why would you need to sneak out?" Mokuba questions.

Ryou keeps his smile but I know it's fake. It's the smile he puts on when he lies about his injuries. "That's a long story I will have to tell you another time."

Mokuba takes the hint and changes topic. "So you like reading? What kind of books?"

Ryou seems relieved for the change. "Anything really. Fiction. Non-fiction. Mark Twain, Tolkin, Jane Austin, James Patterson, I love them all."

I take a mental note of this and remain silent.

At the end of the meal Ryou helps clear the table and I restrain from telling him not to. I am about to leave to my office when I hear a crash from the kitchen. Normally I would tell Mokuba to fire whoever it was that broke whatever it was that broke or if I am feeling incredibly charitable, I would ignore it. But I worry that it might have to do with Ryou. I enter the kitchen and all the heads turn around to me. Ryou did have something to do with it. In fact, he was the one who broke the plate. It is shattered into pieces on the floor and Ryou looks up at me with frightened eyes. Not worried or guilty; frightened.

"Ryou," I look him in the eye and reach out my hand.

Ryou flinches as though afraid that I would hit him. My gut twists as I think about the fact that he probably was beaten for things as small as breaking a plate. He stammers a jumbled apology. My hand rests on his shoulder and he looks up at me with confusion.

"It's just a plate, it doesn't matter. Are you alright?" I ask a bit stiffly but get the message across nonetheless.

Gratitude flashes across his face. "Yes, I'm sorry."

* * *

Yoyo: Poor Ryou...

Moe: well, things are getting better for him

Yoyo: true...REVIEW!

Moe: you just snuck that in there didn't you

Yoyo: :P


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: sorry for the long wait, here you go.

* * *

**Ryou's POV:**

I felt ashamed. When Seto had come to make sure I was alright, I had assumed that he was upset with me. I assumed that he would hit me. This is what Bakura had done to my mind. I do nothing but assume that everyone is just as cruel as he.

After the broken plate incident, Seto lead me back to my room. I kept mumbling apologies, but he continuously told me not to worry about it. When we reached my room, Seto placed a hand on my shoulder and asked me once more if I was alright. Still shaking slightly, I nodded. I wasn't afraid of Seto, I was afraid of not being able to rid Bakura from my mind. Past beating and sleepless nights, they wouldn't get out of my head. Seto seemed hesitant to leave, but did so anyways. We said our good-night's and he exited the room. I made up my mind to talk to Shizuka tomorrow.

I prepare myself for bed. As I turn off the light and crawl under the blankets, I know I won't be able to sleep. Why was this bothering me so much? I stared at the ceiling above me for what seemed like a good two hours.

"_You may be safe for now, but I'll find you, my little angel."_ I heard Bakura growl in my mind.

I sighed and sat up. I couldn't lay here all night long. I pulled off my blanket and swung my legs over the edge of the bed. Maybe I could wonder the halls to keep me preoccupied. I pulled on a t-shirt, walked over to the door, and carefully opened it to make sure the hallway was empty. Once I was sure it was clear, I left my room and gently closed the door behind me. I didn't know if Seto had any rules against wondering through the halls at night, so I tried to be as quiet as possible. I kept walking for half an hour until I heard some music. I followed the sound of violins playing Beethoven until I reached the kitchen. A few clanking pots and quiet voices floated out from under the double doors.

I slowly opened the door and peeked my head in. I spotted Emi talking to a woman that I recognized as one of the chefs by a radio. Sweeping the floor beside them, was a guy in a custodians outfit who was humming along to the music. I made my way inside the room. Emi was the first to notice me.

"Master Ryou Bakura," she said with a smile, "can I help you with anything? I didn't hear my phone ringing, I apologize if I missed it." She was clearly in her pajamas as was the chef. She stood up and curtsied.

"Oh, no. I couldn't sleep so I was walking around. I heard the music so...I'm sorry if I am intruding," I mumbled.

"Of course not!" Emi tilted her head and grabbed my hand. She pulled me over to the chef and custodian. "Come, sit with us. This is Ayaka, one of the chefs. And this is Hayato, one of the custodians. We like to come here once in a while and talk while listening to music." I shook their hands and we began talking. Ayaka was a french woman with red hair and green eyes. She was the top chef at her culinary school and has been working here for years. Hayato, a short, dark haired man, on the other hand, was fairly new here. He was only working at this place to pay for music school. He wanted to be a violinist. We talked for quite a while before Ayaka decided to head to bed and Hayato had to continue cleaning elsewhere.

"So, tell me about yourself," Emi said once we were alone.

"Well...um, there's not much to tell," I said quietly.

"Really? I have a hard time believing that. If Master Seto Kaiba let you stay here, you must be pretty special. I've never seen him look at anyone the way he does at you," she mused. "May I ask why you're here?"

I nodded. "I had some trouble at home that lead to these," I pointed at the faint bruises on my arms. I knew she had already seen the rest of them when she brought my clothes up after my shower. "Seto was kind enough to take me in. He's been very kind to me."

Emi smiled at me. "He must care a lot about you."

I thought about this. It was true. I remembered earlier today when he had confessed to me. Or was it really a confession? I wasn't too sure anymore. I looked at Emi and she took my hands in hers. We talk some more about our lives and interests. A few hours must have passed because before I knew it, it was 2 A.M. and we both agreed that we should go to sleep.

"Goodnight, Master Ryou Bakura," Emi curtsied.

"Please, just call me Ryou," I encouraged.

We said our goodbyes and I walked back to my room. When I reached my room, I stopped at the door. For some reason I didn't go in. I found myself walking to Seto's room and when I arrived, I wasn't sure why I had gone there in the first place. I placed my hand on the door. Those things he said about me _"you are the nicest, most innocent, adorable, sincere person I have ever met." _If Seto did like me in that way, did I return these feelings? I considered this for a moment. And even though I had never thought about this before, I had reached the conclusion that I did have feelings for Seto. I always found him attractive, I was aware of that. But until now I didn't realize how benevolent Seto truly was.

I knocked.

At first there was no reply.

I knocked again. "Seto, it's me Ryou." Silence. "I couldn't sleep, so I...I don't know what I was thinking. Sorry, just-just ignore this. I'm probably a little tired and I wasn't thinking straight and now I'm babbling and I have no idea why I'm still talking. It's like an answering machine, you can't take back what you say. Unless you're still asleep. I'm sorry. This was stupid, I'm stupid."

Suddenly the door opened, revealing a shirtless Seto Kaiba standing in the doorway.

"Don't ever call yourself stupid," he said.

"Sorry to have woken you up. I'll just leave." I was about to turn away but Seto's hand caught my arm.

"Is there something on your mind?" He asked. I looked up at his blue eyes and then down at the floor. "Come in, Ryou."

I followed Seto into his room. He turned on a lamp by the door so there was a dim glow. I examined the place; it was a large but empty room. Seto walked over to his bed and sat on the edge. I joined him but didn't look him in the eye.

"Ryou, what is it?" Seto asked.

"Nothing, I was just...wondering why you've been so kind to me..."

Seto raised his eyebrows. "I already told you why. Because you're nice, innocent, sincere, and...adorable, as well as many other things," he said. I looked up at him and something told me that I was the first person to ever hear Seto Kaiba say anything like that.

"Why are you saying those things?" I asked. I could feel my face blushing.

"Because they're true."

"Seto, do you..."

"Like you?"

"...yes. Do you?"

"Yes, very much so."

I stared at my hands. I wasn't sure what to do now that I had gotten my answer. Seto's hand made its way under my chin and lifted my head so I was looking at Seto once more.

"I understand if you don't feel the same way, Ryou. I don't want you to feel obligated to anything," Seto said softly.

"Actually, I just wanted to tell you that I...I think I may feel the same way about you. But I've been through some really rough things and...and if we do get into anything, I want to take it slowly." I took the hand under my chin into my own. He had large, warm hands.

"Ryou, are you suggesting that we can have a relationship?"

I swear I blushed even more, if that's possible. "I think I am."

* * *

Yoyo: I realize I haven't written in a LONG time

Moe: no you haven't, care to explain why?

Yoyo: I am a procrastinator...

Pax: aren't we all?


End file.
